Magneto-electric machine



(ModeL) T. W. LIVINGSTON. Magneto Electric Machine.

No. 229,719. Patented July 6,1880.

INVENTOR WITNESSES 8 BY fiTTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W. LIVINGSTON, OF AINSWORTH, IOYVA.

MAGNETO-ELECTRIC MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,719, dated July 6,1880.

Application filed March 12, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,- THOMAS W. LIVING- STON, of Ainsworth, in the countyof Washington and State of Iowa, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Magneto-Electric Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

The curative properties of an electric current may be adapted to thetreatment of different diseases by taking advantage of its differentqualities as developed under varying conditions. The current may havegreat in tensity and little quantity, or it may have great quantity andlittle intensity. It may be continuous or intermittent, or it may bemade to alternate, so that electrical impulses of (littereut name willrapidly succeed each other.

There are two methods of generating electrical currents for curativepurposes-one by chemical means, as in the various forms of battery, theother by the direct conversion of mechanical energy into electricalenergy, as in the magneto-electric machine.

Magneto-electric machines have not generally been considered aseflicient for curative purposes as batteries, on account of thedifiiculty experienced in constructing a machine capable of yielding thedifferent qualities of current required for the treatment of differentsubjects.

The object of my-invention is to provide a magneto'electric machinecapable of yielding currents varying in their character, so that itsrange of application will be wider than that of batteries, while it ismore compact, more manageable, more easily adjusted and operated byeither skilled or unskilled persons.

To produce the current I make use of two armatures fitted to a commonshaft and arranged to revolve simultaneously across the opposite ends ofa series of permanent barmagnet-s, the magnets being surrounded byhelices in which the currents are induced;

' and the invention consists in the combination of these elements in acompact, durable, and eficient machine, and in novel devices forregulating and modifying the currents, so as to produce the desiredeffects.

In the drawings, Figure l is an end view of the machine looking at onepole of the magnets. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the reverse end. Fig. 3is a vertical longitudinal section Model.)

on line .t x in Fig. 1. Fig. at is a detail view of the commutator, andFi 5 is an inverted plan view ofthe machine with the base removed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Four permanent bar-magnets, A, are supported at their ends by heads a,of insulating material, and each magnet is wound throughout its entirelength and as close to its end as possible with insulated wire, theheads a be ing counterbored to allow the coil to extend nearly throughthem.

The heads a are rigidly fastened to blocks or braces placed between themagnets. They are also secured to the base I), which, together with acase, a, insures rigidity and keeps the magnets in position, so thattheir armatures may revolve very near them without touching them. Thepoles of the magnets alternate in position, so that at each end of themachine the poles aroalternately north and south.

The armatures dare radial, each havin four arms, corresponding to thenumber of magnets. They are secured to opposite ends of the shaft 0,which extends through the heads, parallel to and equally distant fromthe magnets. The ends of the shaft 0 extend beyond the armatures, andare supported by tubular conical adjustable bearings e in the spiders c6 The bearings c are made tubular to admit oil to thejournals, and theyare made conical and adjustable to admit of taking up the wear, so thatthe shaft may always be kept in line and the armatures may be kept inposition to revolve freely without striking the ends otthe magnets.

The wires of the helices are connected together in series, the terminalwires connecting with the wires ff, so that the circuit is conr pletewhen these terminals are connected. The wires ffextend through the headsa. and connect with the spiders 0 6 The wires. beingof spring metal,spring against the spiders e c", insuringa good contact. Thisarrangement permits of removing and replacing the spiders with certaintyof re-establishing a connection between the spiders and the helices.

Connection is made between the terminals f and the binding-posts h bysprings g, so that the base I) can be. removed and replaced withcertainty of re-establishing connection between the helices andthebindingposts. Three of the 'plate 0.

helices are connected with three insulated pins, 1, in one of the headsa, and one or more of these three helices may be short-circuited whenthe arm is, which is pivoted to the spider e, is moved so as to touchthe first, second, or third of the pins 2'.

On the spider e at the opposite end of the machine there is a plate, 0,supported by a short sleeve projecting from one of its sides, andentering an annular space in the spider e surrounding the inner end ofthe insulated bearing of shaft, so that it may vibrate in a planeparallel to that of the revolution of the shaft a, carrying with it thespring I. which rests against the adjustable arm m. This arm m may beadjusted so that the spring I will touch one of the four projections ofthe serrated wheel it, while the shaft 0 makes less than onefourth of arevolution. The period of contact is varied by sliding the arm 19, whichsupports the spring I, and is clamped in any desired position by thebinding screw 19 working through a slot in the plate 0. This slot has atone end a notch which admits of swinging the arm 12 so as to throw thespring 1 out of contact with the wheel n and arm m.

The shaft 0 is in electrical communication with the spider 0, but isinsulated from the spider e by a sleeve, f, of rubber, around thebearing 0 so that a short circuit is formed between the terminals f whenthe projections of the wheel at touch the spring I. WVhen the shaft 0 isrevolved the wheel a and springl close and break contact four times inone revolution. At each break of contact the current is suddenly changedfrom the short circuit through the shaft 0 to the electrods connectedwith the binding-posts h, producing an electrical shock varying inintensity, according to the relative position of the armatures d and themagnets A,when the contact is broken in the manner described. Thestrongest shock is produced when the contact between the spring I andwheel a is broken as the arms of the armatures are just leaving themagnets, and is weaker as the contact is broken at an earlier or laterperiod in the revolution of the armature, within certain limits ineither direction.

The plate 0 is made movable for the purpose of varying the intensity ofthe shock by changing the time of contact between the spring Z and wheela, and the spring I may be moved by sliding the arm 19 so as to vary thelength of contact between it and the wheel a, and this may be donewithout altering the time of break; ing contact, which is done only bymoving the It will be seen that this construction admits of the movementof the plate 0 in one direction or the other, to vary the intensity ofthe shock without materially afieeting the quantity of the current. Itwill also be seen that by moving the arm 12 in the manner specified thequantity of the current may be regulated without materially affectingthe intensity of the shock.

When the spring Z is moved so as not to touch the wheel a the currentsproceed directly from the helices to the electrodes withoutmodification. These currents are of alternating polarity, increasing anddecreasing gradually in intensity without sudden interruption, and arewell adapted to peculiar cases.

The shaft 0 is fitted with a bevel-pinion, q, meshing with a bevel-gearwheel, 1', carried by an arbor, s, which is journaled in one of thebraces between the heads a. The arbor is provided with a handle, it, bywhich the apparatus may be revolved.

A case, a, protects the helices and assists in firmly holding the headsa.

I do not limit or confine myself to the particular construction hereindescribed, as the form, size, and proportion of the various parts may bechanged without altering the essential features of my invention.

From the spider e the current passes through each coil of the series insuccession, finally reaching the other spider, 6 The first of the pins2' is connected with the first helix at the end or pole opposite to theone that is connected to the spider 0. Now, if the arm k, which isattached to this spider, is moved so as to touch this first pin, thefirst helix will have a short circuit through the arm and spider c. Inthe same way this helix and the next of the series is short-circuited bymoving the arm is so as to touch the second pin, and these two with thethird when the arm 70 touches the third pin.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. In magneto-electric machines, thecombination of the magnets A, insulating-heads a, armatures (Z, shaft 0,and spiders c 6 substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with the magnets A, of the spider 0, pins z, andadjustable arm 70, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In magneto-electric machines, the combination of the adjustable arm1), spring 1, and the serrated wheel a, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

4. In magnetoelectric machines, the plate 0, adjustable on the spider 6and carrying the circuit-closin g spring I, in combination with theserrated wheel a, substantially as specified.

5. In magneto-electric machines, the combination of the adjustable armat with the circuit-closin g spring I, substantially as specified.

6. In a magneto-electric machine, the combination of the slottedswinging plate 0, slotted arm 19, spring l, and wheel a, substantiallyas herein shown and described.

THOMAS W. LIVINGSTON.

Witnesses FRED. L. REED, WILL R. BENSON.

